Two Skimmerflot 8000 flotation sludge removers for Ronal Querétaro

For the treatment of the spray booth’s wastewater at Ronal Querétaro – among the world leaders for OEM products and accessories for cars and commercial vehicles – Olpidürr, as prime contractor of the project, provided for two Skimmerflot 8000 flotation sludge removers, supplied and installed by Water Energy.

Each plant has a treatment capacity of up to 8,000 l/hour, is made in AISI304 stainless steel and is able to reduce sludge concentration in wastewater by recirculating the liquid with specific denaturants.

The flotation plant operates through the molecular separation of water and the specific sludge to be treated, enabling the latter to surface and be removed by means of a sludge and supernatant pumping/catchment system. Air is injected at the entrance of the Skimmerflot plants to enhance pollutant separation and sludge floating, and prevent sludge from accumulating in the booth sections where water flow is weak.

Further micronisation of dissolved air also takes place on the plants’ bottom. Water Energy also supplies all tailored and tested chemicals that are necessary for effective plant running. It is thus possible to achieve:

– removal of paint overspray from water;
– significant reduction in the booth maintenance, pump cleaning, and water veil and abatement system costs, as the water veils, the booster pumps, the booths’ rear and all the parts in contact with sludge remain clean;
– sludge already stored in big bags (80% sludge recovery effectiveness) and made ready for disposal, with sludge humidity of less than 40%;
– cleaner booths with water replacement only once a year;
– sludge denaturation (reduced tackiness of paint to prevent it from sticking to the plant);
– sludge flocculation and flotation (denatured sludge that floats on water; aggregation of denatured paint in the form of flakes that float on water to allow for sludge separation and removal without any sedimentation in the booths’ tank).

Read the full article on ipcm® International Paint&Coating Magazine n. 46.